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[webfact]

Prayut wants urgent plan on drought
JEERAPONG PRASERTPONKRUNG
THE NATION



FARMERS NEED CLEAR EXPLANATION AND HELP IF THEY NEED TO SKIP CROP, SAYS PM

BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha has demanded that authorities present within two weeks clear measures on how to help farmers cope with drought - and explain if they are to be asked to skip growing rice.

While rain is now pouring down on many parts of the country, drought has already hit several other areas.

"The prime minister has made it clear that if farmers have to adjust their farming pattern upon a request from the government, assistance should be provided," Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday after Prayut presided over the meeting on the country's water situation.

Sansern said the prime minister was concerned about both flood and drought threats.

Royal Irrigation Department deputy director-general Suthep Noipairoj has suggested that farmers would not be able to grow rice during the coming dry season.

The country could normally irrigated about 15 million rai of paddy fields during the dry season. But the situation has been changing drastically.

According to an informed source, the Agriculture Ministry was planning to ask the Cabinet to close down water gates and pump stations across the country to stop farmers from pumping water into their farms as soon as the dry season started on November 1.

The plan, the source said, was in response to the grim facts that |the water volume in the country's major dams was now critically |low.

Yesterday, Sirikit Dam director Suthep Lertsrimongkhon said his dam had just 4,155 million cubic metres of water now. Of this amount, only 1,300 million were usable.

"But we need more than 3,000 million cubic metres of water to help the country cope with the coming dry season," he said.

His dam has now reduced its discharged-water volume from 9 million cubic metres to just 5 million cubic metres.

Sansern said yesterday that Prayut had also instructed all relevant authorities and officials, including teachers, kamnans and village heads to help communicate with locals about the water situation.

"We now plan to update people about the water situation. They will know the facts around the same time as the government so that they find it easier to understand measures that have to come out," Sansern said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Prayut-wants-urgent-plan-on-drought-30268962.html


-- The Nation 2015-09-17

[whatproblem]

Why dont the government teach the farmers how to farm ,crop rotation,planting things that help other plants ,setting up cooperatives ,tractor sharing ,not difficult if the officials can be properly policed

[noosard]

This government is still learning to be ????

Far to busy to have time to teach a new subject like farming

[MaxLee]

Hello General,.... look at Pattaya, you'll find all the answers there..........

[webfact]

PM urges more ‘monkey cheeks’ be built to store water for expected drought

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday urged the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to come up with a water management plan and assistance measures within the next two weeks in its effort to resolve the expected drought due to this year’s lower rainfalls.

At the meeting to discuss the water situation, Gen Prayut expressed concerns over the country’s drought problem.

He said that the country has only seen 25 percent of rainfalls this year and concerned agencies, thus a thorough plan for efficient water management was needed in order to minimise the effect of the coming drought season.

This included monkey cheeks to store water.

He then tasked the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry to gather information on external water sources, such as underground water sources and reservoirs that the government could further support and develop.

He said the best solution was to construct more water reservoirs like that of the monkey cheeks or small dams at rivers that would flow to the Mae Khong or Salween rivers, in order to prolong water flow and keep it within the country as long as possible.

The agriculture and cooperatives ministry then suggested that 30 more monkey cheeks should be constructed in the northeastern or Isan region in the provinces of Nakhon Phanom, Nong Khai, Loei, Bung Karn, and Mukdhaharn.

It also said that 22 small dams should also be erected in the upper Northeast and Central regions.

The meeting concluded that the water management plan and assistance measures be ready in the next two weeks.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/pm-urges-more-monkey-cheeks-be-built-to-store-water-for-expected-drought


-- Thai PBS 2015-09-17

[jaywalker]

Monkey cheeks??? Talk about a bad translation!

Why not just say small dams or maybe call then baboon butts???

Edited September 17, 2015 by jaywalker

[Orac]

I am no expert but shouldn't digging ponds to store water be done before the rain comes?

[zaphod reborn]

Too little, too late, I am afraid dear Mr. PM.

Years ago, Thailand should have implemented a major infrastructure investment for water management. This would have included creating reservoirs, building dams, constructing aqueducts and hydroelectric plants. Thailand is similar to California in a way. There are regions in Thailand in the north and in the south that get too much rain, and flood, whereas the central regions receive too much floodwater in wet years, and not enough water in drought years. In California, the north and the Sierras in the east get quite a bit of rain, but the south is basically a desert.

California's SWP is an example of a proper water management system. The Project includes 34 storage facilities, reservoirs and lakes; 20 pumping plants; 4 pumping-generating plants; 5 hydroelectric power plants; and about 701 miles of open canals and pipelines. The project provides supplemental water to approximately 25 million Californians and about 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland. It has had its share of controversy, particularly environmental concerns about too much water being diverted in the north, causing environmental damage.

Thailand, on the other hand, needs to mitigate against the tremendous flooding hazards that occur every year. At the same time, by making a substantial investment in infrastructure (which is needed anyway to kickstart the economy), Thailand can also ensure adequate water supplies for drought years.

Of course, all of this would require foresight, planning, transparency, and safeguards from graft and corruption. No wonder it has never happened in Thailand.

Instead, Thailand is captivated by "small thinking". Here is the source of the dear PM's brilliant idea. http://www.see2014.com/UserFiles/File/Full%20paper%20for%20website/G-027.pdf Simplistic, inadequate, and poorly thought out. They need to look at foreign solutions, as they do with other major infrastructure projects, like the rail system, where they openly admit that Thailand lacks the technology to develop its own system.

Edited September 17, 2015 by zaphod reborn

[jaywalker]

Too little, too late, I am afraid dear Mr. PM.

Years ago, Thailand should have implemented a major infrastructure investment for water management. This would have included creating reservoirs, building dams, constructing aqueducts and hydroelectric plants. Thailand is similar to California in a way. There are regions in Thailand in the north and in the south that get too much rain, and flood, whereas the central regions receive too much floodwater in wet years, and not enough water in drought years. In California, the north and the Sierras in the east get quite a bit of rain, but the south is basically a desert.

California's SWP is an example of a proper water management system. The Project includes 34 storage facilities, reservoirs and lakes; 20 pumping plants; 4 pumping-generating plants; 5 hydroelectric power plants; and about 701 miles of open canals and pipelines. The project provides supplemental water to approximately 25 million Californians and about 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland. It has had its share of controversy, particularly environmental concerns about too much water being diverted in the north, causing environmental damage.

Thailand, on the other hand, needs to mitigate against the tremendous flooding hazards that occur every year. At the same time, by making a substantial investment in infrastructure (which is needed anyway to kickstart the economy), Thailand can also ensure adequate water supplies for drought years.

Of course, all of this would require foresight, planning, transparency, and safeguards from graft and corruption. No wonder it has never happened in Thailand.

Well said, especially the last two lines.

[waldroj]

This end!

[WitawatWatawit]

Make it doubly urgent, general. Urgent was 9 months ago.

[Pib]

The various water reserves are almost empty and now the govt wants a plan. I'm sure the plan will be to built more water reserves and tell the farmers to plant crops which are not water intensive (sound familiar?) ....end result will just be more blah...blah...blah as this kind of govt talk planning has being going on for years and years.

[billd766]

Too little, too late, I am afraid dear Mr. PM.

Years ago, Thailand should have implemented a major infrastructure investment for water management. This would have included creating reservoirs, building dams, constructing aqueducts and hydroelectric plants. Thailand is similar to California in a way. There are regions in Thailand in the north and in the south that get too much rain, and flood, whereas the central regions receive too much floodwater in wet years, and not enough water in drought years. In California, the north and the Sierras in the east get quite a bit of rain, but the south is basically a desert.

California's SWP is an example of a proper water management system. The Project includes 34 storage facilities, reservoirs and lakes; 20 pumping plants; 4 pumping-generating plants; 5 hydroelectric power plants; and about 701 miles of open canals and pipelines. The project provides supplemental water to approximately 25 million Californians and about 750,000 acres of irrigated farmland. It has had its share of controversy, particularly environmental concerns about too much water being diverted in the north, causing environmental damage.

Thailand, on the other hand, needs to mitigate against the tremendous flooding hazards that occur every year. At the same time, by making a substantial investment in infrastructure (which is needed anyway to kickstart the economy), Thailand can also ensure adequate water supplies for drought years.

Of course, all of this would require foresight, planning, transparency, and safeguards from graft and corruption. No wonder it has never happened in Thailand.

Instead, Thailand is captivated by "small thinking". Here is the source of the dear PM's brilliant idea. http://www.see2014.com/UserFiles/File/Full%20paper%20for%20website/G-027.pdf Simplistic, inadequate, and poorly thought out. They need to look at foreign solutions, as they do with other major infrastructure projects, like the rail system, where they openly admit that Thailand lacks the technology to develop its own system.

4 quick questions for you?

1 How long ago did they start building it

2 How much did it cost

3 How long did it take to build

4 How much land was compulsory purchased